Device for tapping kegs or barrels.



NrrEn stra-Tas PATENT? OFFICE.

BASILE OHN CARAVOTAS, OF SAN'FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA;

' DEVICE FOR TAPIEAING KEGS 0R B ARRES.

v Specification of Letters Patent.

appnqation sied March 15, 1'913; serial No. 754,428.

An object of the invention is to provide a ldevice for use in tappingkegs or barrels.

The invention embodies, among other fea-4 tures, a` device that ispreferably used in connection withbeer kegs and 'the like, and inconnection with which it is desiredto tap the keg in a manner that willpermit of foroing a tube therein so that the contents of the keg can'bereadily withdrawn therefrom.v 1

a lIn the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had tothe, accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this' specification,in which similar characters 4of reference denote correspondingv parts inall the views, and in which:

FigureI 1 -is a vertical sectional view of the device vshowing thecasings in disconnected position Fig. 2 isa similar vertical sectionalview showing the casings in connected position and the tube 25 pushedthrough the passage 24 in the lower casing 11; Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe lower casing; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the upper casing.

Referring more particularly'to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, luse is made lofan upper casing 10 and a lower casing 11,` the upper casing 10 beingrevolubly mounted on a` collar 12 arranged within the lower part of theupper casing with a coupling member 13 lhaving connection with a rim 14ofthe collar 12 and adapted for threaded connection with the upperperiphery of the lowercasing 11, the mentioned lower casing 1 1 beingalso adapted for threaded connection with a suitable barrel or keg rthatit is vdesired to tap, the mentioned lower casing being adapted toproject into the keg through the bung-hole thereof.

A suitable gasket 15 is mounted in -a dovetail slot 16 in the collar 12and has a depending portion adapted to seat upon the upper face of thelower casing 11 asshow'n in Fig.

2. Itv will be noted that the upper ea'sing 10 is slidable vertically onthe collar 12, the

mentioned upper casing being normally revtained in uppermost position byan expansible helical spring 17 encircling a.l key i,

ratentedaune 13, 1916.

formed with fthe upper casing 10 and termi- I nating'in a head 19,oneend 4of the spring 17 being adapted to abut against'a face of theupper casingI 10 and the other end of the sprlng 17 abutting againstthe' collar 12, a suitable4 tubular shank v20 being extended from thecollar 12 and through which the key 18 extends, the mentioned helicalspring 17 being preferably varranged to encircle the shank 20 as shown,with the key 18 spaced from the 'shank 20 to form a passage 21 havingconnection with a passage 22 formed in the upper casing 10 'and whichisr adapted 'to -receive an air pipe whereby air canbe forced hrough thelowerlcasing 11v and into the ieoj. l

.E'he casings 10 and 11 are y each provided with tubular passages 23, 24through which a pipe 25 1s adapted to be slidably passed, and mounted toslide vertically inthe lower casing 11 is ar valve rod 26 provided with'a' laterallyextending valve 27 adapted to normally close the lower Iendof the tubular passage 24, a seat 28-being formed-on the lower casing 11to receive the valve 27' when the lsame is moved into closedI position,the said valve 2T being rotatable horizontallyto a limited extent afterit has been pushed kinwardly away from the valve seat 28. A pin 29projects from the lower end of the casing 11 and fits into a hole 29' inthe valve 27 when the said valve isv drawn against the seat by thespring 30, thus preventing rotation of the valve when in closedposition'.

An expansible helical "spring 3() is 1arranged within a'centralcylindrical bore 31 in thecasing 11 with 'an endof the spring abuttingagainst a flange 32 on-the valve rodl26 and the other end of the springabutting against a plug 33 which is screwed into the lower end of thebore 31,' thus Vnormally holding the valve 27'on the' seat y28. Alocking socket 34 is provided on' thelower casing 11, in substantialalinementwith the key 1S and the upper en dof the valve rod .2G projectsinto the said socket. The lower portion of the socket being enlarged andprovided lwith stag'fgered`A lugs 35, is enlarged and provides ashoulder 35 kagainst which the upper surface of the elongated head 19 ofthe -key`18 i'spressed by the spring 17 after/the said head has beenpushed d own into the socket ,and turned'so that the ,head19engages'belowv the shoulder casing 10is then held in the 'hand of theop'- `erator in a position which will enable the elongated head 19 onthe key- 18 to be passed through the elongated opening in the lockingsocket 34 of the lower casing.l When this is accomplished the uppersquared end y' of the valve rod 26 will be located in the s uared recessin the head `of the key `18, with the depending. portion of the gasket'1.5 on the collar 12 contacting with lthe ylower casing' 11. Thecoupling member1 13 may now be operated to threadedly connect the percasing, a. collar within the upper casupper casing12.withthelower casing11.

I t will ofcourse be understood that the pipe has preferably beeninserted in the passage 23 in the casing 10 withthe lower l end of thepipe located in an openingvin the top of the collar 12 prior to theconnection ofthe casings 10 and 11, the 4pipe being held againstaccidental displacement from the positlon described -by a rubbergasket37 v mounted in the casing l0.

` If it is desired .to force alr into-thekeg` or barrel through thepassage 22by means not shown in the 'drawing the casing 10 Lis forceddownwardly ina. vertical direction against the action of the spring 17,while the key 18 through its connection with ,the valverod 26 willy alsomove said ,stem downwardly against the action of the spring 30 therebyremoving the pin 29 vfrom the hole 29'- in the valve 27, thus air forcedinto the upper casing 10 may enter the barrel or key through the passage24 in vthe casing 11 as long 'as the casing 10 is maintained in adepressed position.

'i When iti-is necessary that the passage 2 4 remain open for anylengthof time or when vit is desired to pass the lower end of the pipel25through the passage 2l in the casing 11 and into the barrel or kegtojwhich thedeviceis attached the casing 10, after having beendepress/ed, maybe rotated or "given'a half turn to cause the pipe 25 toregister with the passageQl in the casing 11, and also to Vmovethe valve27 from beneath said passage. llhenthis has been accomplished thepipe-25 maybe passed` through the passage 21 into the barrel in orderthat the ycontents thereof may be .ejected through the, pipe 25 by theair con ined within the barrel. It will be noted in reference.tof.Fig.2in the drawing that v the elongatedifghead ofthe easing is now in .thelowermostjportion of the locking recess` Selw-ith'thfeupper surface ofsaid head contac'ting wi`th the locking Hange 35 `of saidSocken-'pmtwill be" furtl1er noted that during the partial vrotation ofthe casing 10 and the collar 12 within-thering 13 the gasketv 15 hasbeen compressedfsuiiciently to form a tight joint between the casings 10and 11.

positioned within said passage the; only escape for the contentsl of thebarrel is through the pipe 25..A i-

To insure the pin 29 registering with .the hole 29 vwhen the valve 27--is moved 'to -a`-A positionto oover'the Nalve seat 28 a stop member 27is provided as shown in dotted#4 lines in Fig. 3 in Athe drawing.

.Having thusfdescribed my invention, lv

claim;A

1.. In a device'of the' class described, the combination with a lowercasing, ofl'an uping, said upperI casing being movable on the collar, acoupling in threaded connection with the collar and adapted for threadedconnection with the lower casingto connect said casings, an expansiblespring mounted upon said collar and contacting with said upper casing tonormally retain the upper casing in uppermost position, al valve rod inthe lower casing mounted to slide and turn therein, a valve on the valverod normally closing a passage in the lower casing. a pipe arranged inthe upper casing and manually operable to .extend the same through the'passage in the lower casing,

and a key on the upper casing movable vergesonnection with the lowercasing whereby "naald casing may be connected, an expansble Hspringmounted uponl the 'collar and contacting with saidupper casing to'normally maintain the upper'portion of the irst mentioned casingsuperposed above the collar, a `pipe arranged in the vupper casingadapted to extend through a 'passage inthe lower casing, a valve rod inthe lower casing mounted to slide and turn therein, a valve on the valverod normally closing the passage in the lower easing,- a key onthe'upper casing and movable vertically`A therewith to engage the saidvalve ro'd and slide and turn the same in the lower casing to movie saidvalve into open and locked position, and locking fiange'son the lowercasing .adapted to contact with said key to secure said valve in an openposition.

3. In'a device of the classdescibed, the

lao

vcombination with a lowercasing, of an 11pper casing, a"coll ar withinthe upper casing, 'said upper lasiiflgj being movable on the'collar,acoupling in threaded connection with sai-d collar'adapted io'r threadedconnection withT the lower casing to connect said casings, anexpans'ible -spring mounted upon said collar andcontacting with saidupper easing to.'normally retain the upper casing in'uppermost posit1on,a valve rod inthe 'lower' casing' mounted, to slide and turn therein,l avalve on the valve rod normally casing, a key' on the upper casingmovable Yverticallytherewith and provided with a closingl a'. passage inthe lower casing, a pipe arranged to extendthrough a passage in theupper casing adapted to be manually passed through 4the passage 4in thelower head to engage said valve rod and slide and turn the same -in thelower casing to move saidI valve into open and closed' position,lockmgflanges on the, lower casing adapted to contact. with the uppersurface of thev head on said key to secu'rethe key in locked positionwhen the valve is in open position,

,and an expansible 'spring' encircling said ,l valve' rod-with an end ofthe spring engaging' the valve rod andthe opposite end of 30, a A. closethe above mentioned passagevin the ythe spring "engaging the lowercasing to normally retain' said valve in position to lower casing.

4. In a device ofthe class described, the

combination witha lower casing for connec- 4tion "with a--keg, of anupper casing, means for revolubly locking the upper casing on the lowercasing, a 'valve rod in the lower 'a valve niember on the valve rod.

casing, and adapted to "normally -clos'e `a passage'in the lower casing,a pipe for insertion in 'a passage'lin the upper casing andV adapted tobe manually vextended. into a passage Ain the lower casing, and a key,on the said upper: casing and re'voluble therewith no engage and revolvethe said valve rod to move the said valve into open position anduncoverthe passage 1n the lower casing.

5. In a device ofthe class described, the

.combination with a lower casing for connection with a keg, of anuppercasing,

means for .revolubly locking theA upper casing on. the lower casing, avalve rod in the lower casing, a valveimember on the valve.

rod andv adapted to normally close a passage in the lower casing, a pipefor insertion in a passage inthe upper casing adapted to exten into apassage in the lower casing, a keyon the said* upper casing andyrevoluble therewith to engage and irevolve theasaid valve rod to 'movethe said valve into open position and uncover the .passage in the' lowercasing, and means mounted in.-

the upper casing to elllgage4 the said pipe and secure the same againstaccidentall movement in the said casings.v A j e' -6. AIn a. device oftheclassdescribed, the combination with 'a'lower casing, of an uppercasing for connection with the lowerl lcasing and revoluble thereon, avalve on the lower casing and normally' closing av ypassage -therein,a'pipe for insertion in a passage in the upper casing and extending-intothe'passage inthe lower casing, and akey on thev upper casing vandrevoluble therewith to move -the said valve into open' posi tion touncover the passage inthe lower,

casing.' f

7. In a `device ofthe class described, the combination with a lowercasing, of anlupper casing for connection with the .lower .casing an'drevoluble thereon, a valve on and a pin on the lower casing forlimiting,

-the swing of thesaid valve; 4

In testimonywhereofI aflix my in presence of two witnesses.

BASILE JOHN CARAVOTAS.. `Vlitnesses:

GEO'. F. CAVALLI,

O. Prom; Y'

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